Annantaa Emphasises the Significance of Early Evaluation in the Development of Children

News Desk, News Nation 360: Mental health and wellness organisation Annatana, co-established by counselling psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist Madhuri Sarda and psychotherapist Vidhi Bansal, organised an educational symposium titled "Early Insights, Brighter Futures: A Session on Psychometric Assessments in a Child's Growth" in Kolkata, gathering psychologists, preschool directors, and academic leaders to emphasise that developmental screening should be used as an empathetic tool for individual empowerment rather than clinical stigmatisation. With participating institutional heads including Ms. Deboleena Biswas Nag (Director, Cambridge Montessori Preschool and Daycare, New Town) and Ms. Rituparna Kolay (Principal & Owner, EuroKids Preschool Ballygunge and Cocoon Daycare), the assembly underlined alarming epidemiological realities such as UNICEF's estimated 240 million disabled children globally, Census 2011 records of 132,405 disabled children between age 0-6 in West Bengal, an 8% pooled national prevalence of specific learning disorders (SLDs), and a 3.54% weighted autism screening threshold in a 2017 Kolkata borough study in Autism Research; speaking at the seminar, Ms. Sarda and Clinical Psychologist Ms. Atreyee Chandra underlined that psychometric evaluation in early years, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates for inclusive foundational learning, allows educators and caregivers to chart cognitive patterns, identify neurodivergence early, and build multi-stakeholder support ecosystems in accordance with each child's intrinsic strengths.

Pic: Courtesy